Ken Sherman On Bicycle Safety & Rural Road Rage?
April 19, 2009
Some of you know I do a weekly radio show, Highway 6 - Your Road to the Country. This past Sunday we had a discussion about bicycles, rural roads and safety. It's interesting to see how much press this issue has received. We thought we'd post that twenty minute interview here so folks outside of our rural lifestyle forum can pick it up.
You can click here for the interview portion of the show.
Our conversation is with Ken Sherman (you can click here to hear just that interview) an avid bicyclist in Iowa. We learned that "avid" means riding 20+ miles a day starting in January! Ken who was hit by a vehicle this past March knows of the safety issues and the disregard by many vehicle drivers toward cyclists. He and 500+ other riders (above) made their way to the Iowa State Capital this past Wednesday to call attention to the legislature's failure to pass SF 117 put forth by Senator Bill Dotzler of Waterloo, Iowa and managed by Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City. The Bill passed the Senate but stalled out in the Iowa House where it appears House Majority Leader, Pat Murphy, allowed it to die in committee.
And, all of this in the state that hosts the largest annual cycle event in the nation, RAGBRAI. We're confused too.. Especially when you learn the cost to the state is...zero.
In this interview Ken (Center between Brian Duffy and Kim West who also spoke a the rally) suggests that it is a Rural / Urban issue and we talk about how the Iowa / Nebraska Farm Equipment Dealers Association made a decision to not support the bill (due to "problems of moving farm machinery") to the continued anti-bicycle crusade by the Iowa League of Counties and David Vestal whom we're referenced before regarding bike events in Dallas & Hardin Counties.
Was it a party-line vote or Rural vs. Urban? We'll let you decide...but one thing, we think, is clear...these folks are not going away this time and in memory of the seven cyclists killed in 2007 and the dozens hurt by vehicle / bicycle collisions this debate is far from over.
Highway 6 Your Road to the Country is heard each Sunday morning at 8am Central on 983wowfm.
Michael P. Libbie - Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications - Thanks for coming by. You can keep up with us on Twitter @MichaelLibbie or head to our advertising agency website. www.InsightCubed.com